Is Portland one of the most ‘rodent-infested’ cities in the US?

DENVER, CO ( KDVR /NEXSTAR) — Rats and mice are quite common in cities, particularly some of the largest in the U.S. that have the perfect habitat for everyone’s least favorite pests, and that includes Portland.

Rodents are common in cities because of the access to food and sanitation practices, according to Terminix , a nationwide termination service. While small, they quickly become a problem as they can create public health concerns and cause significant property damage.

Because of this damage, Terminix looked into which of its 300 branches dispatched the most rodent control services in 2023.

Top rodent-infested cities in the US

Among the 50 top cities that needed the most services in the designated areas, New York City finished ranked as the top city that used rodent control services most frequently in 2023.

Here are the top 15 cities that needed the most rodent services:

1. New York City, NY
2. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. Philadelphia, PA
5. Washington DC
6. Chicago, IL
7. Houston, TX
8. Boston, MA
9. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
10. Atlanta, GA
11. Baltimore, MD
12. Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA
13. Denver, CO
14. Hartford-New Haven, CT
15. Cleveland-Akron, OH

What about the Pacific Northwest?

Seattle cracked the top 30 at No. 26, according to Terminix, while Portland made the top 50, landing at No. 46, which considering the list, might not be a bad place to be.

Rats and mice are hard to avoid in cities, as most rodent populations are attracted to high population densities with easy-to-access food and mild climates, according to the pest control company.

The full list of the most rodent-infested cities can be found on Terminix’s website.

Signs rodents are in your home

If you happen to live in or near one of these rodent-filled cities, you may want to check around your home for signs of potential mice intruders.

Mouse trap and rodent control experts at Tomcat say that the common signs that a rodent is in your home include droppings, a urine odor, gnawed holes and marks, and scampering noises.

You can also potentially find them building nests in your home or if you have a pet, they may begin acting a little differently than usual. Dogs or cats may appear extremely alert and can begin pawing at areas where the rodents may be hiding such as underneath your refrigerator, stove, or furniture.

If you begin to notice any of these signs, you may want to invest in some traps or call pest control to come to your aid.

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